Labels

FIFA World Cup 2018: Referee Salaries and Match Fees

The biggest competition on the planet, the World Cup generates a few billion dollars and fills the coffers of FIFA and the 32 participating national federations. But it's not just the managers who make money from the tournament. Sponsors, players, coaches, members of technical committees, workers, and officials also get a slice of this billionaire cake. But how much of this money goes to the referees, the men in charge of making the most important decisions of the World Cup and that, in a way, will decide the future of the teams in Russia 2018? The value of the payment received by the World Cup referees is not standardized, FIFA paying different amounts to referees based on their level and experience. The referees with a consolidated career at the top level will earn more than those less experienced or who are debuting in the competition.

In Russia 2018, top level referees, such as German Felix Brych (photo), who refereed the last UEFA Champions League final, Turkish Cüneyt Çakir and Argentine Nestor Pitana, will receive $70,000 plus match fees of $3,000 per game. These figures represent a significant increase over the amount paid at the last two editions of the tournament (2010 and 2014), when the referees earned between $35,000 and $50,000. The assistant referees will receive a fixed amount of $25,000 plus a bonus of $2,000 for each game assigned.

In total, 36 referees and 63 assistants were selected by FIFA for the 2018 World Cup. At the end of April, they will attend a seminar in Italy. Only after that, FIFA will announce which referees will work on the pitch and who will be in operation of the video review system. The 2018 FIFA World Cup starts on 14 June with the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow. The final is scheduled for 15 July and will be played on the same stadium as the opening match.